The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-05-26
THE RIGHT SPIRIT.
An Earnest Meeting of Business
Men Yesterday.
Discussion of the Railroad Prob
lem--A General Executive
Committee to be Raised.

1t is gratifying fact to note that the
business men of the city are becoming
aroused, and are taking an interest in
matters material to the prosperity of the
community.
In response to the call made by Mr..
Eugene Bremond yesterday, a number of
gentlemen assembled in the gentlemen 5
parlor of the Driskill last evening. Among
those present were, Messrs. Eugene Bre-
mond, A. P. Woodbridge, Ira II. Evans,
W. K. Handy, Walter Tips, W..
B. Smith, j. w. Graham, Isaac
Stein, DR.. j. w. G. Love, j. W. Phil
lips, W. p. Gaines, II. H. Hazard DR.. j.
Cummings, Peyton Brown, A. L. Mexican,
f. W. Turner, A. L. Teagarden, NJ. Butler,
w. Moses, Joseph Male, Lewis Hancock
and z. G. Roach.
The meeting seemed TO be little stiff
at first, the gentlemen present combining
themselves to an informal kind of discus
sion, but at length Mr.. Graham called for
the business of the meeting and Mr.. Bre-
mond then announced the object to be to
hear the report of the subcommittee who
visited Texarkana and met the officials of
the st. Louis, Arkansas d Texas Railway
conn any.
Mr.. Woodbridge suggested that the ar
gument of the committee, together with
the statistics presented, be read for in
formation. This was done by Mr.. Lewis
Hancock as follows:
TExARKANA, May 4, 1887.
To the Honorable President and Board of Directors
of the St. Louis, Arkansas " Texas Railway
| Company
Conference.-The undersigned commit
tee, representing the towns of McGregor,
in Mcclellan county, Texas, Bolton and
Salado, in Bell county, Texas; Cornhiil,
Round Rock and Georgetown, in William
som county, Texas, and Austin, in Travis
county, Texas, do hereby respectfully
memorabilia your honorable body to build
and extend your railroad from McGregor
to Austin, passing through or as near as
practicable to the intermediate towns
herenbefore named; as reasons therefor
we beg to submit the following, among
others, for your favorable consideration:
First-The route from Austin to Nc
Oregon, by the line above indicated, is the
shortest practicable aud desirable line that
can cont ect the st. Louis, Arkansas &
Texas Railway company with the capital
of the state.
Second-The route above indicated is
pronounced by practical railway men to
be the cheapest and best line that could
be adopted between the points above
named; of the entire distance eighty
five miles, but nine miles being at all
difficult of construction, and those nine
miles not unusually so, and said line hav-
ing at convenient points an abundance of
material such as rock, gravel, timber,
water, etc, suitable for the construction
and operation of railway, the water
privilege of said route being unsurpassed
in Texas.
Third-The country through which said
line would pass is already in high state
of prosperity and development, occupied
by large and intelligent population,
Astounding in cultivated farms, prosper
Gus villages and towns, and affording con-
venient sites and most fertile ana i'm
proved districts for establishment of new
towns and villages.
Fourth-The above recommended road
would control, without competition, a
large territory of the best agricultural
lands in Texas. Said territory re-
contem plated, extending from Me-
Gregor to Austin, and varying in
width from fifteen to forty miles,
and on the east of said line, if built, would
attract large part of the commerce and |
business done by the Missouri Pacific and
Gulf, Colorado railways.
Fifth-The said line, if extended at any |
time in the future beyond Austin, would
penetrate one of the richest and most |
populous portions of the state, and could |
be built, if desired, through the same |
character of lands to the coast.
Sixth-The local and through passen-
ger and freight traffic that would result |
to this road from the above extension !
would be more valuable than an entire
of all the business that could |
be done by the road should it extend into
the western portion of Texas by any line
more uortherly or westerly than the above
Seventh-The subsidies in money,
to about one hundred and five
thousand dollars, of which one hundred
and three thousand dollars, at least, might
be guaranteed, and such concessions of
as we have obtained, would
aid in the construction of this
road, and are much greater in amount
and value than could be obtained along
any other line of the same distance in
western Texas.
Eighth-The road enjoys in the highest
degree the confidence and good will of
the people of Texas, and the continued
friendship and patronage could be relied
upon should the road be extended along
the proposed route.
Ninth-This line, if built, would be the
shortest between Waco and Austin by a
difference in time of one hour, and the
shortest between st. Louis and Austin by
I difference in time of six hours.
Tenth-The committee beg to submit
The memorial for your consideration, a
detailed statement of the char
lcter, business and resources of the towns
md country from McGregor to Austin,
aid statements being made by towns as
hey come in the order of succession, be-
ginning at McGregor, and are believed to
'e under rather than over estimates:
STATISTICS or M'GREGoR
population 1,NO
ANNUAL cotton receipts bales. ........... 1900
ars of Grain shipped per annuml .. 3ig
Merchandise sales Observation-Disclosures sSg,S53
Rsdius, ten miles in each direction
and in cultivation (acres). Commencement. 1925
ield of cotton (bales). $1,000
leld of corn (bushelsl. 10000
leld of oats (bushelsl. 100000
ield of wheat (hushelsl .,..,,. $4,000
nimproved lands (acres). ll52i5
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